Table leg mounting and storing cleat



March 30, 1954 A. M. BEASLEY 2,673,772

TABLE LEG MOUNTING AND STORING CLEAT Filed April 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN T OR.

flr/fiarMBeas/e; m m ww ea ATTD RN EYE March 30, 1954 A. M. BEASLEY 2,573,772

TABLE LEG MOUNTING AND STORING CLEAT Filed April 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN '1 OR.

ATTD RN EYS Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABLE LEG MOUNTING AND STORING CLEAT 3 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible or folding tables of the type wherein legs are clamped in cleat on the under surface of a table top, and in particular a table top having cleats on the under surface with horizontally disposed leg receiving openings extended through the cleats for retaining legs for storage and shipping and in which the cleats are also provided with vertically disposed openings for retaining legs in upright positions, and tubular legs adapted to be positioned in the said vertical and horizontally disposed openings of the cleats.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for retaining the legs of a table in upright position for supporting the table and also in nested positions against the under surface of a table top without hinges or other similar attaching elements and wherein the legs are adapted to be clamped in both upright and collapsed positions.

Various attempts have been made to hinge, or otherwise pivotally attach legs to table tops to provide folding or collapsible tables, however, it is difiicult to provide connecting means to hinge or pivotally connect legs to a table top with suflicient rigidity for use on a library or dining room table. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an improved method of mounting the table legs on the under surface of a table top whereby the legs are rigidly clamped in upright positions for supporting the table and wherein the legs may also be clamped in folded or inoperative positions.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an improved table top in which cleats are rigidly secured to the under surface and in which the cleats are provided with openings in which table legs may be rigidly clamped so that with the legs set upright a comparatively solid table is provided.

Another object of the invention to is to provide an improved mounting for connecting table legs to a table top whereby the legs may be removed and placed in nested positions against the under surface of the table top for storage'l'and wherein some of the legs may be extended, in the nested positions, to provide handles atthe ends of the table top.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for rigidly connecting legs to a table top which provides a collapsibletable and in which unobstructed leg room is provided below ,the table.

A further object of the, invention is to provide:

an improved collapsible table wherein legsare 2 clamped in upright positions and also in nested positions below a table top in which a table of a simple and economical construction is provided.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the table showing the table with the legs thereof in upright positions, said figure also showing the legs in nested positions in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view looking upwardly toward the under surface of the table top showing the leg in nested positions and showing the corner of the table top broken away.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the table top taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure a is also a cross section through the table top taken on line 4-4 of Fig, l and illustrating the means for clamping the table legs in nested positions.

Figure 5 is a view looking upwardly toward the under surface of the table top, similar to the table top shown in Fig. 2, and illustrating a modification wherein the mounting elements are used on a comparatively long table and intermediate cleats are provided at each end of the table for retaining the legs in nested positions. This figure also shows legs extended from the ends of the table top to provide handles.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved collapsible table of this invention includes a table top I 0 having legs ll clamped to the under surface with cleats I2 and i3 at the ends and also, with the legs in nested positions, with the cleats i l at the center.

The cleat i2 is provided with leg receiving openings l5 and H5 at one end-and l1 and IE3 at the other, which openings are in a plane parallel to the table top, and also openings [9 and 28 which are positioned perpendicular to the table top.

The ends of the cleats are provided with slots 2! and 22 which extend from the openings l8 and Zil, respectively, to the adjacent ends of the cleats and bolts 23 and 24 with thumb nuts 25 thereon extend through the ends of the cleat, passing through the slots 2i and 22, thereby providing means for clamping the legs of the table in the cleat.

The cleat I3 is provided with similar openings 26 and 21, aligned with theppenings l5 and i6, openings 2e and 29 aligned with the openings IT and I8, and vertically disposed openings 38 and 3|, similar to the openings [9 and 20. The ends 3 of the cleats l3 are also provided with slots 32 and bolts 33 with thumb nuts 34 thereon extend through the ends of the cleat and pass through the slots providing clamping means for securing table legs in the openings and 3|.

The cleat I4 is provided with openings 35 and 36 at one end and 31 and 38 at the other, which openings correspond with openings in the cleats l2 and i3, and this cleat is also provided with perpendicularly disposed openings 39 and 49 in which grommets 4| and 42 which are formed of resilient material are positioned and which are held by screws 43 and 44, respectively which are threaded through the cleat and into the table top as shown in Fig. 4 and by this means the legs ll may be clamped in nested positions.

It will be understood that the legs ll may be of any suitable shape and may be formed in any manner, however, in the design shown the legs are tubular and plugs 46, of resilient material are provided in the upper ends. Similar plugs also of resilient material and having heads 46 with shanks i! are positioned in the lower ends of the legs and by this means the intermediate parts of the legs are closed or sealed.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 a table top is provided with cleats 5i and 52 spaced from the ends and intermediate cleats 53 and 54 which are spaced from the cleats BI and 52, respectively.

The cleat Si is provided with perpendicularly disposed openings 55 and 56 for holding the table legs in set up or upright positions and similar openings 5? and 53 are provided in the ends of the cleat 52.

The cleats El and 52 and also the cleats 53 and 54 are provided with horizontally disposed openings similar to the cleats l2, l3 and I4 and legs, as indicated by the numeral 59, and which are similar to the legs H are positioned in the horizontally disposed openings with the table in the collapsed position whereby the legs are nested against the under surface. The legs are clamped in the nested position by screws 60, similar to the screws 53 and 44, and grommet 6!, similar to the grommets 4i and 42.

The cleats 5| and 52 are provided with clamping elements, such as bolts 62 with thumb nuts thereon and the bolts pass through slots 6 4, similar to corresponding elements in the cleats l2 and 53.

By this means the legs may be clamped in set up or upright positions for supporting the table top in a horizontally disposed position and the legs may also be removed and inserted in the horizontally disposed openings in which the legs be clamped for storage and shipping.

Also as illustrated in Fig. 5 the ends of two of the legs may be extended to provide handles and it will be understood that the handles may extend from one side, as shown, whereby the table may be carried with the top in a vertically disposed position, or the handles may be extended from both sides whereby the table may be carried in a horizontally disposed position.

The surfaces of the end cleats in which the clamping elements are provided are relieved, as illustrated in Fig. 3 from points 65 to the ends of the cleats, providing slots '66 between the under surface of the table top and wings formed at the ends of the cleats by the slots extended inwardly to the leg holding openings whereby the upper edges of thewvings are'free so that they may readily be drawn together by the thumb 'nutsand bolts. r

With the parts arranged in this manner an improved collapsible table is provided wherein the legs of a table are rigidly clamped in set up or upright positions and wherein, when it is desired to take the table down for storing or shipping the legs are removed and inserted in horizontally disposed openings in cleats on the under surfaceof the table top whereby the legs are nested against the under surface and wherein means are provided for clamping the legs in nested positions.

It will be understood that other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a table, the combination which comprises a table top, a cleat having leg receiving openings therein mounted on the under surface of the table top and spaced from one end thereof, some of said openings of the cleat being positioned with the axes thereof parallel to ,the table top and some of the openings being positioned with the axes thereof perpendicular to the table top, table legs positioned in certain of said openings of the cleats, the ends of said cleats being split from the openings positioned with the axis thereof perpendicular to the table top to the end surfaces thereof, bolts extended through the cleats and positioned between the openings positioned perpendicular to the table top and ends of the cleats for clamping the table legs in said openings, and intermediate cleats spaced from the former cleats and parallel thereto, said intermediate cleats having openings extended therethrough with the axes thereof positioned parallel to the table top and in alignment with the openings of the former cleats, the axes of which are positioned parallel to the table top.

2. In a table, the combination which comprises a table top, a cleat having leg receiving openings therein mounted on the under surface of the table top and spaced from one end thereof, some of said openings of the cleat being positioned with the axes thereof parallel to the table top and some of the openings being positioned with the axes thereof perpendicular to the table top, table legs positioned in certain of said opening of the cleats, the ends of said cleats being split from theopenings positioned with the axes thereof perpendicular to the table top to the end surfaces thereof, bolts extended through the cleats and positioned between the openings positioned perpendicular to the table top and ends of the cleats for clamping the table legs in said openings, intermediate cleats spaced from the former cleats and parallel thereto, said intermediate cleats having openings extended therethrough with the axes thereof positioned parallel to the table top and in alignment with the openings of the former cleats, the axes of which are positioned parallel to the table top, said openings of the cleats positioned with the axes thereof parallel to the table top being positioned in pairs and grommets of resilient material mounted in the intermediate cleat and positioned between the openings of the pairs for frictionally retaining some of the openings being positioned with the 5 axes thereof perpendicular to the table top, tubular table legs having plugs of resilient material in the ends positioned in certain of said openings of the cleats, the plugs in one of the ends of the legs extended beyond the ends of the legs for frictionally gripping a surface upon which a table on which the legs are positioned is resting, the ends of said cleats being split from the openings positioned with the axes thereof perpendicular to the table top to the end surfaces thereof, bolts extended through the cleats and positioned between the openings positioned perpendicular to the table top and ends of the cleats for clamping the table legs in said openings, intermediate cleats spaced from the former cleats and parallel thereto, said intermediate cleats having openings extended therethrough with the axes thereof positioned parallel to the table top and in alignment with the openings of the former cleats, the axes of which are positioned parallel to the table top, said openings of the cleats positioned with the axes thereof parallel to the table 6 top being positioned in pairs and grommets of resilient material mounted in the intermediate cleat and positioned between the openings of the pairs for frictionally retaining ta'ble legs in said openings.

ARTHUR M. BEASLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 117,277 Hollowell et al. July 25, 1871 147,969 Peabody Feb. 24, 1874 350,578 Converse Oct. 12, 1886 423,259 Keller Mar. 11, 1890 468,042 Holstein Feb. 2, 1892 1,216,079 Cook Feb. 13, 1917 1,747,691 Bellows Feb. 18, 1930 1,873,211 Nekuda July 15, 1931 2,546,439 Green Mar. 27, 1951 2,602,008 Hasselbring July 1, 1952 

